Phoenix Memories
by CommanderValeria
Summary: What if Fawkes wasn't just a Pheonix, but instead under a spell that could only be broken under the most extreme circumstances? This story is a response to that challenge given in the group Lovers of the Potion's Master on Facebook.


A/N: I wrote this story in response to the prompt: 'What if Fawkes wasn't just a Pheonix, but instead under a spell that could only be broken under the most extreme circumstances. Write a one-shot of Fawkes revealing herself to Severus to save his life.' found in the Facebook group "Lovers of the Potion's Master" Read. Enjoy. And please leave a review I appreciate them :)

* * *

She sat in the bushes, ruffling her feathers and watching the dark young man creep ever closer to the Whomping Willow. Trapped in the body of a phoenix, Avery Fawkes didn't think there was much she could do to keep the boy from being pummeled to death by the aggressive tree. Long ago she had been trapped in her Animagus form by a dark wizard and the spell could only be broken under the most extreme of circumstances. No being saved by true love's kiss for Avery.

No matter. It wasn't as if she'd had a true love before anyway. Her fate had come about from the cliché story of the dark wizard lusting after the beautiful village maiden and when she'd rejected him he retaliated by making sure she suffered. Life since then hadn't been so terrible. She'd become Albus Dumbledore's companion. She suspected he knew there was more to her than what was easily seen but he certainly didn't guess her secret.

Avery watched the Hogwarts student pick up a long branch and push it against the knots and roots at the base of the Willow. As he slipped inside the tunnel she knew to be underneath the large tree, Avery was taken with an overwhelming urge to follow. At the end of the tunnel lay an old abandoned cottage. From her closeness with Dumbledore and her own observations she knew that in the cottage lay a boy… well young man at this point really, who had a problem vaguely similar to her own. The poor boy, Remus she thought his name was, was being forced to change into a beast against his will at every full moon.

The werewolf, the beast that Remus transformed into, was a violent creature bent on destruction and a single wound from such a thing would turn their victim into a werewolf themselves. It was a terrible burden to bear for one so young. By secluding Remus during the full moon Dumbledore had ensured the other students' safety… every student except for this one, Avery thought as she flew down the tunnel.

She hadn't seen the other boys go down the tunnel yet; the two rebellious, self-righteous, bullying ones and the other one that followed them everywhere. Avery didn't know how the other three did it but she did know that they managed to help Remus through these nights. Over the years his looks had improved and he seemed to emerge in the morning in much better condition than what he used to when he was a young boy just starting out at Hogwarts.

Those other boys, as horrible as they could be, would have stopped this boy from being killed. Not even they could have stood aside and watched another be murdered. Even if they _were_ that bad, Avery didn't believe they would force their friend to carry that burden for the rest of his life.

There was no time left. She had to make him stop before he reached the shack but how? In this hated form of hers how could she make him stop? No human was libel to listen to a bird's cries to halt.

"No!" she screamed when his hand pushed on the door, creating a small opening. The fact that she had actually uttered a word didn't register until she fell to the ground and, instead of hopping back up as normal, she _pushed_ herself up.

* * *

The door above him dropped back closed, snarling and the sounds of destruction emanating from the Shrieking Shack. Someone, a woman, had screamed and Severus turned to see who had dared to follow him down this tunnel. There, practically prostrate at his feet, was a dark-haired beauty, clothed in a feathery ball gown in Gryffindor red. Why was it that the entire house of Gryffindor seemed desperate to be the bane of his existence?

"Did you say something?" he snapped, watching as she tried to push herself up. Silly chit had apparently tripped over her ridiculously impractical skirt while chasing him down.

"No," she said, lifting herself into a sitting position and holding out a hand. "Would you be a gentleman and help me up?"

"Obviously you don't spend time in the vicinity of Potter and his gang if you haven't already come to the conclusion that I'm no gentleman," he sneered.

"Who?" she asked. The girl looked simply dazed that he hadn't offered his hand... and also somewhat unsteady.

"No matter," he dismissed. He certainly had no desire to discuss his tormentors with anyone, let alone some sneak who was apparently dogging his every step. "Who are you and why in the world did you think _that_ was appropriate attire for following someone around the grounds at night?"

"Avery…" she murmured, looking herself up and down as if amazed to see her long, lithe limbs and feathery dress.

Avery. Severus could feel his features harden even more than usual. Had his so-called friends done this? No matter how their ideals aligned, he didn't trust them. It wouldn't surprise him in the least if those two tried to humiliate him like Potter. Then again… Perhaps they had vetted this beauty, found her an acceptable witch and sent her to him as a way to tempt him away from Lily. Still, that didn't explain the coincidence of her name and that of his friend being one and the same. "Did Mulciber put you up to this? Or are you some relation to Avery?"

"Avery? I don't… No. My name is Avery Fawkes and you _can't_ go in there."

"Fawkes? As in the Headmaster's phoenix?" He asked, taking a step towards her. This was growing stranger by the moment.

"Yes, exactly!" she nodded, eyes lighting up. She really was an attractive thing, this Avery. "I know you probably don't trust me, you've no reason to after all and the whole thing does sound rather unbelievable," she babbled, using the dirt wall behind her to leverage herself into a standing position, "but please you mustn't go in there."

"Why ever not?" he asked, listening to the truly disturbing sounds of growling and… things breaking above his head.

* * *

"Because…" she hesitated, "there's a werewolf up there and I'd hate to see you killed or worse…"

"A werewolf?" the student questioned. He still hadn't told her his name even though he'd demanded to know hers. "Lupin…?"

"I don't know his name and I don't care to find out," she huffed, wondering why she'd been transformed back if it was only to stand in a tunnel endlessly discussing inane things like her name and why or why not this boy should trust her and _leave_ this place. "I also highly doubt you're willing to sacrifice your life to find out."

"Not particularly," he droned, his expression turned thoughtful… then menacing , "So Black had this all planned did he? Wanted me gone?"

"One of the boys who bully you?" she questioned, though she had a good feeling that it was one of these boys he referred to, "I don't know that he intended for you to be killed necessarily."

"I'm sure he did. That self-righteous dunderhead is just the type to send me to my doom without a second thought."

"Regardless, we should go," she sighed, taking his hand since he wouldn't take hers of his own free will. "You can't get the revenge I can see you clearly want if we stay here much longer."

"Hmmm, you may have a point," he said, finally letting her tug him back towards the entrance under the Whomping Willow.

Avery breathed a sigh of relief when he followed her up and out of the tunnel and far away from the things that would have destroyed his life. This had been her purpose, she thought, it may not have been any grand, heroic, action sequence but she'd saved a life, and probably many more that they could never know about. She had saved a life and broken the spell.

* * *

They had a wonderful life, Avery thought as she watched Severus lift their little girl up onto his lap. After that night she'd seamlessly integrated into life as a Hogwarts student as if she'd always been there. She'd told him all about the spell and her life as Fawkes the phoenix during the nights they'd spent up talking in their common room. Avery didn't think he completely understood but that was okay with her.

He'd never truly bonded with Sirius Black or James Potter, even after the latter had begun dating Severus's best friend, Lily Evans. He and Lily were still friends though, the Potters even brought their son Harry over from time to time for play dates.

Her favorite sound was his laughter mingled with their daughter's. He was a man that didn't laugh often but their life was one of happiness and joy now. Their meeting a cherished memory that, though it hadn' exactly make them smile.

It made them love.


End file.
